


Dice with Death

by Elioren



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Angst, Chloe isn't a total bitch, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gang AU, Hurt/Comfort, LEADER CHAT NOIR, M/M, Mafia AU, Mature Chat Noir, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Protective Chat Noir, Romance, Slow Romance, Srs bidness, Violence, Wow took me long enough to start this, maybe smut later?, multi-chaptered, some strong language, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-09-07 10:56:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16852732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elioren/pseuds/Elioren
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng always wanted more out of life than the boring routine she’d grown used to. Twenty-one, eternally single, and living with her parents at the family bakery. Just as things start to look up for her when an old friend returns to Paris, the wheels of fate begin to turn after she's attacked by a mysterious group of masked criminals.Why couldn't she be satisfied with her life of normality?-Gang Akuma AU-





	1. Unexpected Surprises

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dice With Death (OLD VERSION)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10410447) by [Elioren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elioren/pseuds/Elioren). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW! So, for any of you who don't know or found to this work by chance, this is based on a (much) older work of mine (which you can find on my page). I've rewritten large portions of it, and I'm much more satisfied with the product now than the older version. I hope you guys are too! Feel free to read the old Dice with Death if you want, but there are... issues with it as well as being unfinished. But it's interesting to see the writing process sometimes, so read away!
> 
> (Note: Just because this work is based off my old one does not mean plot points will be the same. So don't worry about spoilers, because this will be radically different!) Also, I'm re-doing my Tumblr COMPLETELY soon, so check that out if you're interested. I'll post updates and can chat with y'all more directly there! http://elioren.tumblr.com/

 

Wake up, work, go to class, come home, go to bed, rinse and repeat.

 

That was the general outline of Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s everyday life, one the young adult had grown quite accustomed to. At first, she found it dreadfully boring, but the endless loop of mundane tasks had become a comfort of sorts. Even though she did wish for more at times, she never had to worry about unfortunate surprises or instability.

 

At least, that’s what she tried to convince herself.

 

Marinette sighed audibly as she leaned over the bakery counter. It was boring, anyone could see that. Hardly any friends, no boyfriend, and still living with her parents at twenty-one. Not that Marinette didn’t love her job working at her parents’ bakery, but she always longed for more. The only other thing she had right now was her university classes, and even that got boring after her first year.

She had tried online sites a couple of times, both to find friends and potential partners, but each attempt ended in dreadful failure. Her mother and father both tried to convince her to go out with her old friends more, but she was always one of those stay-at-home-and-read-a-book-in-your-pajama types. Besides, she could count the number of close friends she had on one hand—and most of them had drifted apart after high school.

The only person Marinette still contacted regularly was Alya, her best friend of nearly seven years, who was constantly busy with her journalism work. She occasionally spoke with Nino, Alya’s boyfriend, but they didn’t hang out much outside of a few group outings. Other than them, she hardly knew anyone else.

 

Well, besides Adrien Agreste.

 

The son of famed fashion designer and Marinette’s personal idol, Gabriel Agreste, was a literal ray of sunshine. The four of them had been inseparable throughout all of high school. She’d been head over heels for him the whole time—a fact Alya loved reminding her of—but that ended long ago. Now, they only sent messages once or twice every few months. His father made him go to business school so that he could one day inherit his company. Marinette never admitted her feelings to him, but she felt as though they had mostly vanished after nearly two years apart. Realistically, she knew they probably wouldn’t see each other for a long time, if ever.

Attempting to push any depressing thoughts from her mind, Marinette flipped through the news feed on her phone. There were hardly any customers right now, so she didn’t need to pay too much attention to the shop. She briefly glanced at some of the headlines, flicking her thumb quickly. Paris had seen its fair share of criminal activity recently, but luckily most of it was on the other side of the city.

As she tapped on one of the news articles the bell on the door rang, signaling the entrance of a customer. She set her phone down and put on her “ready to serve you” smile when she noticed the familiar head of auburn hair.

“Alya!” She exclaimed, swinging around the counter to pull her friend into a hug.

“Hey, girl!” Alya gripped the shorter girl tightly, releasing her after a few moments. “It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you!”

Marinette flashed her an excited smile. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?”

“I was on my way to work when I thought I’d stop by and surprise you.”

She giggled. “Well, consider me surprised. How have you been? Work going well?”

Alya clasped Marinette’s hands tightly and nearly leaped with excitement. “Oh my gosh! I totally forgot to tell you, I got a promotion a few days ago!”

Marinette practically started jumping along with her. “Are you serious? That’s awesome!”

“Yep!” Alya gestured at herself like a model car. “You’re looking at the new Editor in Chief of _Regard du Matin_ newspaper!”

“That’s amazing, Alya! I’m so happy for you! You’re really moving up the ranks quickly.”

“Thanks.” Alya glanced to the side and fidgeted slightly.

That’s odd, Marinette thought with a tilt of her head. Alya wasn’t normally the nervous type.

“Actually,” the brunette continued, crossing her arms, “I have one more surprise for you. But you’ll have to wait until later to get it.”

“Later?”

“Yeah, I don’t exactly have it with me.”

Marinette was intrigued and leaned forward. “Can I guess what it is?”

Alya chuckled. “You can try, but I guarantee you won’t get it right.”

The raven hair girl pouted, much to Alya’s amusement. “Okay, fine. Want to go to that ice cream parlor a couple blocks down?”

“Girl, you read my mind. Is it alright if Nino tags along?”

“Of course! Just don’t get too mushy around me.” Marinette stuck her tongue out at Alya in mock disgust, earning a laugh from her friend.

“Yeah, yeah. Mind if I get a coffee before I head out?”

“Sure, let me grab you a to-go cup.” Marinette stepped behind the counter and went to the coffee pot, pouring some of the smooth, dark liquid into the cup. She dribbled a bit on her finger, causing her to involuntarily hiss in pain.

“Still as clumsy as ever, huh?” Alya smirked at her as she leaned over the counter.

“Hush, you.” Marinette wiped her hand on a towel and continued making Alya’s coffee the way she knew she liked it. One-third milk, two spoonfuls of sugar, she recited in her head. She decided to sneak a cinnamon stick in at the last moment, knowing it was one of Alya’s favorite flavors. She set the cup on the counter, snapping the lid on to give to Alya.

“Thanks, girl,” She said, taking a sip. “I’ll text you later when I’m off work, alright?” Alya clicked her tongue after sniffing the drink. “Ooh, Cinnamon. Nice touch.”

Marinette giggled. “I know it’s your favorite. Have fun at work, Alya!”

“You too!” Alya called as she walked out the door. The bell chimed brightly as the door hit it, closing immediately after. Marinette waved after her, her hand lingering in the air even after she left. She was excited to finally have something to do, but she couldn’t help but be nervous. It had been months since she’d gone out with Alya. Nearly every time they made plans, one of them ended up being too busy and had to cancel.

 

She hoped that wasn’t the case this time.

 

* * *

 

Marinette’s phone beeped as she wiped down the tables, having finally reached closing time. After she finished cleaning the one she was working on, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. It was Alya, her excitement evident through her text.

  


Tuesday - 6:13 PM

 **_Alya Césaire:_ ** _Hey girl!!! I’m finally off. Meet up in 30 minutes?_

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Sure, I’ll head over to there in a few!_

 **_Alya Césaire:_ ** _Wear something cute. ;)_

 

Marinette’s eyebrow raised at Alya’s text. What was that girl planning? Whatever it was, it _couldn’t_ be good. Regardless, she decided to trust her and comply. After she finished cleaning, she headed upstairs and changed into a clean white blouse and a high waisted black skirt. She slipped on a beige peacoat and wrapped a red scarf around her neck, as the weather was getting chilly, especially in the evening.

After observing herself in the mirror, she put on her black flats and grabbed her small pink purse that she’d made back in her first year of high school. It had lasted her this long—no reason to replace it yet. She dropped her phone inside and snapped the clasp shut. She ran downstairs, nearly barreling into her mother in the front door.

“Woah! Be careful, honey!” Sabine set her hands on her daughter’s shoulders to steady herself.

“Sorry!” Marinette said, making sure she was okay, “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“I’m going to grab ice cream with Alya.”

“Oh!” Her mother’s eyes instantly lit up. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, how’s she been?”

“She’s good! She actually stopped by the bakery this morning.”

Sabine smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful! Well, I won’t keep you. Have fun, sweetie!”

“Will do. See you later!”

Marinette continued down the stairs into the bakery, slipping out the front door before locking it behind her. She contemplated taking the subway, but she lived close enough to walk to the ice cream parlor. It was a nice out anyway, and Marinette breathed in the cool evening air as she strolled down the street.

After ten minutes, she reached the shop. Alya and Nino were already there, waiting for her in the window. When they saw her, both lit up. Marinette entered, sitting down next to them.

“Hey, Marinette!” Nino said, giving her a one-armed hug. “It’s been a while, huh?”

“Yeah! How’s the DJ life going?”

“Same old, same old. I actually have a couple new mixes I think you might like.”

Marinette got excited. Nino’s music was always good. “You should email it to me later! All the stuff you make is great.”

Alya cleared her throat, bringing their attention to her. “Hate to break up the fun, but I just got word that your surprise is on its way.”

Marinette had nearly forgotten about that, having been too excited to see her friends again. “Oh, yeah! Wait, what do you mean “on its way?” Are you having something delivered?”

Nino and Alya’s eyes met for a split second, a silent conversation passing between them. “You could say that,” she said, the corners of her mouth curling.

Marinette raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She knew Alya wouldn’t tell her anything else, and Nino had probably been sworn into secrecy. “Alright, you weirdos. Let’s get some ice cream!”

The two looked at each other again, more nonexistent words being spoken with their gazes. “Let’s wait a few minutes, dude, I just ate. You know what they say: Don’t eat dessert right after dinner.”

“Who says that?” Marinette asked.

 _“They_ do,” Nino replied ominously, opening his chocolate eyes wide.

Marinette didn’t totally understand, but let the matter slide. “Oookay then.”

The trio chatted, waiting for Nino’s food to properly digest or something. After a few minutes of discussing Nino’s new favorite artists, Marinette felt a presence behind her, almost as if there was someone standing right—

 

“Boo.”

 

Marinette let out a strangled sound, jumping an inch off her chair. She hadn’t expected a voice to speak right in her ear. She whipped around, nearly smacking the person with her hair. Her eyes came into contact with a broad chest, and her gaze traveled slowly upward until she saw a familiar chin with slight stubble and a head of blonde hair, paired with the most gorgeous green eyes she’d ever seen.

“A-Adrien?!” Marinette exclaimed, standing up so quickly she nearly knocked over her chair.

He chuckled with his buttery smooth voice, holding his arms out for a hug. Marinette froze, having been caught completely off guard. Alya nudged her back gently, sending her a few inches closer to him. He wrapped his toned arms around her small frame and Marinette could feel his muscles flexing through his shirt. It took everything she had to keep her legs from turning into jelly.

“It’s so good to see you!” He said, sending a rumble through her body.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Great. Not even a minute in and she was already a stuttering idiot.

He released her, taking a step back. “I’m finally done with University. I’ve actually been around since June, but I’ve been swamped with work. Nino and I made plans to meet up and Alya had the idea to reunite the old group.”

“I-I see!” Marinette turned away, attempting to cover her blush with her scarf. It seemed her feelings hadn’t completely disappeared after all.

Alya let out a laugh from behind her. “Oh yeah, he was in on the surprise, too.”

Marinette turned to her, attempting to glare. However, she was too tomato-faced to look even slightly threatening. “So you all knew?”

Nino clasped Adrien’s arm with his own, giving the taller man a bro-hug. “Yep. Now, for _no reason in particular,_ I feel like my dinner has been sufficiently digested. Let’s get some ice cream!”

She was still caught like a deer in the headlights, but Marinette managed to walk up to the counter with the group. She picked out a single scoop of strawberry sorbet, with Alya choosing caramel swirl, Nino favoring plain chocolate, and Adrien settling on mint-chip. They all tried to pay, but Adrien was too quick. Being at the front of the line, he paid for everyone’s ice cream before they even had the chance to reach for their wallets.

“You didn’t have to do that, dude,” Nino said as they sat down. “I feel emasculated in front of Alya.”

Adrien chuckled. “It’s fine. And for the record, if you guys were a bit quicker, you could’ve paid first.”

“Is that a challenge, pretty boy?” Alya said, taking a particularly caramel-infused bite.

“Perhaps.” Adrien crunched on a chocolate chip and glanced at Marinette. “Is something wrong, Marinette? You’re pretty quiet.”

The girl jumped, not expecting him to speak to her. “N-no! I’m fine!” She took several huge bites of her sorbet, attempting to keep her mouth from saying anything embarrassing. As soon as she swallowed the third spoonful, a sharp pain shot through her temple. “Ack!” She pressed her palm to her forehead, the sensation working its way deeper by the second.

Adrien laughed, his spoon sticking out of his mouth. “You should eat slower! You’ll get brain freeze that way.”

Marinette giggled, attempting to cover her embarrassment. “Y-Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

The group continued eating, catching up on what had happened since they had last been together. Adrien said his modeling work had slowed while he was in school, but his father hadn’t wasted any time putting him back to work once he graduated. Marinette made a mental note to get more _Gabriel_ magazines tomorrow. She had to admit, it was really nice being together like this again. Marinette hadn’t had this good of a time since… well, since before they graduated.

After they had been sitting in the shop for far longer than intended, Marinette’s phone rang. She took it out of her purse and looked at the caller ID quickly before answering.

“Hi, Mamon.” She said, waiting for the response on the other end.

“Hi, honey!” Sabine’s bright voice rang in her ear. “I really hate to do this while you’re out with friends, but you might want to head home early tonight. Your father’s not feeling too well and we might need your help opening in the morning.” Marinette pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the time: 9:02 PM. _Woah, it’s already that late?_

“Is he alright?”

“He’ll be fine, he just caught a cold.” As if on cue, Marinette heard her father’s hoarse cough in the background.

“Uh, he doesn’t sound fine.”

“I know. I’m giving him some medicine so he can sleep. You don’t have to head back right away, I just thought I should let you know.”

Marinette sighed and glanced at her friends. Nino and Alya were immersed in their own conversation, but Adrien seemed to be listening to the two of them intently. Marinette turned away quickly and put her attention back on her mother. “It’s alright, I’ll be back soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I was getting ready to pack up anyway,” she lied.

“Okay, see you soon, honey!” Marinette heard the receiver click as Sabine hung up.

Adrien twirled his plastic spoon in his empty cup, giving her a questioning glance. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” she said, tucking her phone back in her purse, “my dad has a cold and they need me to open the bakery in the morning. I just hope the buses are still running.” Alya and Nino snapped out of their conversation, looking up at Marinette as she stood from her chair.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Alya asked, looking crestfallen.

Marinette smiled sadly. “Yeah, I’m sorry guys.” Alya looked back at Adrien and Nino when something seemed to spark in her eyes.

 

_Oh no._

 

Marinette knew that look. That was her scheming look. Before she could speak, Alya pulled Adrien’s arm, raising the man from his seat. Adrien was surprised, nearly dropping his spoon.

“Well, I’m sure Adrien wouldn’t mind driving you home!”

Adrien was caught off guard but quickly composed himself. “That’s fine by me.” Marinette glanced at Alya, who gave her a thumbs up behind the blonde’s back.

“N-no!” Marinette stammered, “It’s okay. I’m only a few blocks away.”

Adrien tossed his ice cream cup in a nearby trash bin, already slipping on his coat. “What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk home in the dark?”

“Are you sure?” She asked, ignoring her blush to put her attention on Adrien.

“Absolutely. Plus, there’s been a lot of gang activity recently. I’d feel more comfortable knowing you’re home safe.” He flashed his teeth at her with that award-winning grin. It nearly turned Marinette to a puddle of goo right then and there.

Nino lightly elbowed Marinette in the side, sending her the same devious look as his girlfriend. Alya had rubbed off on him too much. “Alya and I are glad you’re in such good hands.”

“Suuure.” She gave him a sarcastic roll of her eyes, which he responded to by sticking his tongue out at her.

Nino turned back to Adrien, clasping him on the arm. “Don’t be a stranger dude, alright? It’s been too long since we were all together.”

“I promise you,” he began, “Now that work has slowed down we’ll have _much_ more time to hang out.”  

Marinette barely processed them leaving the ice cream parlor and walking to his car as he led her out with a hand on the small of her back, sending electricity up her spine.

 

_Damn it, Alya!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!


	2. Unforeseen Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the support! I had chapter 2 ready earlier than I thought, so here you go!

 

_How did things end up like this?_

 

Well, that was more of a rhetorical question. Marinette knew exactly how it ended up like this, with her in the front seat of Adrien Agreste’s car. His _very_ expensive car. It was all thanks to Alya’s shenanigans, as it usually was when unexpected “surprises” occurred.

Marinette glanced over at Adrien, who was humming a light tune while tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. She didn’t know how to start a conversation with him, after all, it’d been two years since they last spoke. After running through her mental list of small-talk (all of which she decided were too boring), she decided to just blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

“So,” she broke the silence, “How Paris are you in long for?”

Adrien, understandably confused, stopped his tapping to glance at her. “Uhm… What?”

“I-I mean–” She stammered, “How long are you in Paris for?”

“Oh, I never left.”

Marinette blinked twice. “You… What? But I thought you went to business school?”

He chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. “I did, but it was here. I was just too busy to leave the house much aside from modeling work, so I may as well have been abroad for all it mattered. There’s a reason I finished a four-year degree in only three.”

“I-I see. That must have been rough. You always were a one, though.” She fiddled with the edge of her skirt, embarrassed by her earlier stuttering. Old habits die hard, it seems.

“Yeah, thanks to my private tutors.” Adrien sighed, turning down the street that led to her house, “So what have you been up to? I didn’t really get a chance to ask back at the ice cream shop.”

“Oh! I’ve been working for my parents in the bakery and taking classes for my design major.”

“Ah, still working toward the fashion industry?”

“Yep!” She grinned enthusiastically, always eager to talk about her designs. As Adrien let her ramble about various projects she was working on, the car came to an abrupt halt that stopped her mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, wiping fog away from her window to look for a possible road hazard.

Adrien starred in one direction, and it was then that Marinette saw the problem. “Crime scene,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the police swarming the area, “Looks like there’s been another incident.”

“Incident?” Marinette repeated.

“Have you heard of the Akumas?”   
Marinette instantly recognized the name. The Akumas were a gang of unknown criminals that terrorized the streets of Paris. They hadn’t been around long, maybe a year and a half, and their crimes started out as mere vandalism. They quickly grew in scale, however, and so did their actions. From robberies to kidnappings, the Akumas were certainly a force to be reckoned with, and one to fear.

As Adrien maneuvered the car around the police tape and traffic cones, Marinette caught a glimpse of the scene. She couldn’t see much through all the cops, but she did see the large purple butterfly graffitied on the wall of one of the buildings–the symbol of the Akumas. _That’s how Adrien must have known,_ she thought.

“I’ve heard of them,” she said, keeping her eyes out the window, “but I thought they mostly stayed on the other side of the city?”

“They do, but I guess they changed things up this time. It’s probably nothing to worry about.”

Marinette realized what he was indirectly implying. This was just a few blocks away from her home. The thought terrified her, and she desperately hoped it wasn’t going to become common in this area.

A few minutes later, Adrien arrived in front of the bakery. He rolled up to the curb smoothly and put the car in park. As Marinette gathered her things, he spoke up again.

“Feel free to keep in touch,” he said, tapping his phone with his index finger. “My number hasn’t changed.”

“Oh! O-okay!” She smiled at him as she stepped out of the vehicle, feeling the chill bite her skin. “Thanks for driving me home,” she said, her hand on the door.

“Of course, let me know if you ever need a ride.”  Suddenly, Adrien’s tone became hushed and concerned. “Marinette, please be safe out there, okay? I know I said that Akuma activity probably won’t be normal here, and you live in a good part of town, but you never know.”

Marinette flushed lightly, feeling happiness bubble up inside her over Adrien’s concern. Of course, the reason he was worried was nothing to be happy about. “Yeah, tonight was a rare instance, I’m usually never out after dark.”

“Good,” he sighed, visibly relieved. “Well, I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, see ya!” Marinette smiled, closing the car door. She watched Adrien’s car drive away after she entered the dim bakery, finally seeing it disappear around a corner. She locked the entrance before she headed upstairs, listening as she passed the door of her parents’ room. Sure enough, she heard two pairs of snores—one much louder than the other. She headed up to her room, where she quickly stripped of her day clothes and changed into pajamas.

Nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep, her mind replaying all the memories of the day and a certain blonde man.

 

* * *

 

Adrien turned the final corner and gazed up at the back end of an abandoned hotel. At least, that’s what it looked like from the outside. He hopped out of his car and opened the chain-link gate, blatantly ignoring the “DO NOT ENTER” signs plastered all over the fence. He drove his car forward and closed the fence behind him, making a mental note to get a new lock for the gate. He parked in an alleyway between the hotel and another building, making sure his car was mostly invisible to any passerby. Making sure no one was nearby, he lifted his hand and gently brushed his finger over the center of a silver ring, something most people didn’t notice him wearing.

As he did, a black orb appeared out of the ring, which materialized into the form of a small cat. The creature yawned, rubbing his bright green eyes with a tiny paw.

“You couldn’t wait five more minutes for me to finish my cat nap?” He was clearly annoyed, glaring up at the man in front of him.

“Plagg, we’ve got important things to take care of. I’ll buy you extra camembert to make up for it.”

“Ah, camembert,” Plagg mewled, “the only thing better than naps.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, as he spoke. “Plagg, claws out.”

A flash of green filled the car, and a black mask materialized on his chiseled face. His hair was tousled by the force the ring expelled, making it messier than normal. A leather suit appeared on his body, feeling almost like a second skin. Adrien flipped his mirror down to make sure his disguise was in place and exited the car.

The blonde walked towards a broken window, one that was covered by wooden pallets leaning against the brick exterior of the building. He pushed them aside and hopped through the now uncovered window, forming a dust cloud as he landed. Adrien walked through the hotel, letting his memory guide him. It had been over a year since he’d been in this building, but he remembered it well. He had to change bases after the last one came dangerously close to being discovered, and this was the first night they were gathering here. He ascended the creaky staircase in the center of the grand foyer and came face-to-face with three other young adults, all wearing similar disguises as himself.

“Took you long enough,” A blonde girl sneered. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, as always, and her blue eyes peered through a bright yellow and black mask.

“I’m sure it’s not his fault,” a tan man defended, leaning against one of the unbroken windows. His mask was forest green with a hexagon pattern inlaid in it.

“Agreed.” The last person, a girl with a similar complexion as the man before her, spoke as well. Her orange mask and matching suit reflected the copper in her hair.

“Sorry I’m late, guys.” Adrien brushed off an old chair, watching the dust settle as he sat down.

“It’s fine, Chat Noir,” The green-masked man said, “We know you’ve got your own problems to deal with.” He punctuated his statement with a glare at the blonde girl, who merely flipped her ponytail in annoyance.

“Anyways,” Adrien said, suddenly growing more serious, “there are more important matters to discuss than my tardiness.”

“Hawkmoth.” They turned to the blonde girl once again, surprised to hear her usual haughty tone drop.

“Yes,” Adrien confirmed, “I tracked some of his lackeys, but I couldn’t stop them by myself without getting a few cuts. The group looked at their leader with concern. He was the best combatant of them all. If he got hurt, Hawkmoth must’ve employed some seriously good pawns. He pulled his sleeve back down and continued. “I drove by another crime scene on the way here, probably a home invasion, on the Northeast end of the city. They usually stick to the South and West.”

The redhead placed a hand on her arm. “I have a friend that lives over there. That’s… not good.”

He nodded. “I can’t say for certain what their goal is right now. My last lead came up dry.”

“Do you have any idea where we can get more intel?” she asked, raising her hands to fiddle with a necklace that dangled above her collarbone.

“As a matter of fact, I do. They seem to have a new target they’re following. If I can get whoever they send alone, then there’s a good chance we’ll be able to interrogate him.”

“I’d recommend jumping him before he jumps the target,” the other man suggested, “If they really are being singled out, there’s a good chance Hawkmoth won’t let them escape.”

 

 

* * *

 

Marinette finished wiping down the windows, making them as clean as the day they were made. Well, she assumed they were, at least. She had no idea what glass looked like when it was being made. Probably still hot and molten. So… Maybe not exactly the same.

Marinette sat down at the counter, finally able to take a break. It had been a few days since she met up with Alya, Nino, and Adrien. Luckily, however, today was Saturday, which meant she got off early. She debated calling them up to hang out again, but she could also run down to the fabric store to finally check out their new stock. They had gotten some imported goods from India last week, and she was dying to see what they had. Marinette had called the store ahead of time and they'd agreed to hold a few rolls of everything for her since she was _quite_ the regular customer.

She decided tomorrow would be better for a group meet-up anyway since she knew both Alya and Nino were off work on Sundays. Hopefully, Adrien did too, but she’d have to find out later. A customer walked in, bell ringing above their head, and Marinette got to work serving them.

 

**~.~.~**

 

 

As they were closing up shop for the evening, Marinette heard a crash from inside the kitchen. She rushed back, dropping her broom in the process, to see what had happened. She saw her father standing above a tray–or what _used_ to be a tray of crumble loaves.

“Papa, are you alright?” She asked, walking up behind him.

“Oh yes,” Tom smiled, “I’m fine, I just tripped on a loose wire.” He leaned down to begin cleaning up the mess, but Marinette put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“You’re not completely better from your cold, Papa. You should go rest. I’ll clean up in here.”

He frowned. “Are you sure? I don’t mind cleaning.”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’d rather have you sleeping before you pass out on the floor… again.” She gave him a giggle, teasing him about when he had fallen off the couch in his sleep earlier that week.

“Alright, alright.” He resigned, brushing his hands off over the sink. “But I’m making you your favorite strawberry shortcake to make up for it!”

“How can I argue with that?” She shrugged, returning to the front to grab her broom. Tom headed upstairs, the stairs creaking under him. Marinette looked around the kitchen again, assessing the mess.

_Oh jeez… so much for my early night._

It took Marinette longer than expected to sweep everything. Every time she hit a larger chunk of crumble loaf, the nutty toppings would fall off, giving her more to clean up. She realized the broken bits of the tray had shattered behind some boxes of flour and under the ovens, so she had to move those out of the way as well. Something that was not an easy task for most people, but she had been lifting flour for years.

After a while, she finally finished the job. She sighed and checked her phone, hoping there was enough time to run by the fabric shop. It was a full two hours after the bakery’s closing time, which was an hour after she usually finished up her work. However, she could still make it to the store in time to be back before dark if she hurried. As quick as she could, she grabbed her coat from her room, made sure she had _plenty_ of money in her wallet, and departed from home.

The shopkeeper practically had to push Marinette out of the doors by the time she left. She hadn’t realized it was past their closing time; she had gotten so absorbed in looking at all the patterns, petting the satin, caressing the leather, that she had stayed for much longer than she meant to. However, she had come out with many spoils and was over the moon with excitement. She couldn’t decide which one she wanted to use first, they were all so beautiful!

Marinette looked through her bag as she walked down the street, fairly certain she wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight through the rush of inspiration that was flowing through her. Luckily, the fabric shop was only a few minutes away from the bakery, so she didn’t feel the need to call a cab.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice flickered on from her memories. “ _Marinette, please be safe out there, okay?”_

She blinked. Marinette had told Adrien she would be cautious, right? But… it really was only about fifteen minutes away. Plus, she had spent all the money she had on her back at the shop. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t afford a cab right now.

 _I’ll just go fast. If I take a few shortcuts, I can make it home in half the time._ Marinette ducked between a few buildings, keeping to the shortest alleyways possible. She’d been growing up in this area since she was a toddler, so she knew the streets around here like the back of her hand. There was only one long alley between an old canning factory and some apartments that burned down a few years back. Faulty wiring, she’d heard on the news.

As she turned the corner into the narrow passage, she felt the air chill around her. Well, it was the end of October, so that wasn’t too weird. But her hairs stood on end unnaturally, which unnerved her. As she navigated the backstreet, avoiding trash piles and dumpsters, she felt like something was watching her.

Quickly, she turned around. Marinette thought she saw something move a bit back, but it was too dark to tell. _Probably just the shadows or something,_ she assured herself. Brushing back her dark hair, she continued deeper into the darkness, feeling more uneasy by the second. Just as she turned a corner and saw the light from the street ahead, she felt something firm wrap around her waist and icy cold touch her temple.

 

“Make one noise, and I shoot.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed! I read every comment and they mean so much to me!


	3. A Pair in Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying so far! This isn't as long as I had hoped it'd be, but things are starting to get interesting... 
> 
> ((WARNING))  
> Though nothing explicit happens, some people may be emotionally triggered by some events in this chapter. If this is the case, PLEASE skip to the line break about halfway through.

 

She froze.

 

Marinette knew what was pressed against her forehead without having to look. The deep voice behind her had confirmed it, after all. Her heart rate skyrocketed as soon as the reality of the situation grasped her. 

_ Oh god… I should have called Adrien to drive me. I should have called a cab, even if I didn’t have money. I should have gone the long way instead of through these alleys… I should have _ –

Her racing regrets were interrupted by a yank on her arm. The man tugged her back the way she had come, away from the light of the street. Marinette’s panic began to surge as she saw her salvation fading from view. He pushed her against the wall, her face pressed deeply into the cold bricks. Her bag dropped to the ground, scattering fabric everywhere. He moved the gun from her temple to the back of her neck, keeping her pinned where she was. His grip on her arm vanished, but she didn’t dare move. After a moment, she heard something clinking. It sounded like metal, but she had no idea what it could be. A knife? A lighter? Before she could wonder further, he pulled her around to face him, and it was then that she knew what was going on. 

His dark eyes were surrounded by a deep violet mask, which almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. From underneath the collar of his shirt, she could see the top of a tattoo, the likes of which had been broadcast on every news station for the last year. 

 

The mark of the Akumas. 

 

Marinette knew that this was going to be the place she would die. She would never see her family or her friends again. Never smell the fresh bread her parents made every morning. Never hear Alya’s laugh or Nino’s music. Never see Adrien’s smile… 

Marinette dropped her panicked gaze, and it was then that she saw what had been clinking a moment earlier. His belt buckle.  _ No, no, no!  _ She would rather have him kill her. Her adrenaline spiked and she tried to escape his grasp, wiggling to free herself. His grip was strong, however, and he only tightened it further.    
“Stupid girl,” he growled, his voice etching itself into her mind, “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” 

“Let me go!” She screamed, attempting to scratch him with her nails. Tears poured out of her eyes, stinging against her skin. She wished she wasn’t in such an isolated area, or someone would have heard her for sure.

She barely registered the second set of footsteps approaching through the panic, glancing to the side to see another masked man. “Damn it, did you really have to leave me back there to chase after this broad?” 

The first man chuckled. “I couldn’t let this cutie slip away.” He flipped her around again so she was against the wall once more. Marinette slid to her knees, her hair getting snagged on some jagged bricks. He pushed her into the lower part of the wall, adjusting his grip to secure her as best as he could. 

“Ugh, fine. Just hurry up will you?” Marinette saw him lean against the wall a few feet away, pulling out a phone to while away the time.

“Sure thing, Mercier.” 

“You idiot, don’t use my damn name.” Mercier, Marinette noted, groaned, rolling his head dramatically. “Now we have to kill her.” 

Her attacker tensed. “Shit, you’re right. Well, at least this will be over quickly, girlie.” 

As he was fixing his hold, she felt the gun move away from her head. Suddenly, an idea struck. She forced every muscle in her body to relax and made sure he felt it too. 

“Hm, seems you came to your senses,” he chuckled. He made the mistake of relaxing too, putting the gun next to his knee on the ground to readjust his grip on her to his dominant hand. Marinette heard the metal clang against the pavement and knew her plan was working. 

His fingers gripped around the edge of her pants, and that’s when she moved. Marinette reached to the side, grabbing the closest bundle of fabric possible. She tossed it behind her head, holding both ends of the cloth, and pulled his head towards her. She felt his forehead slam into her back, and lifted her body with all her might, pulling him over her head and slamming him into the brick wall. It was like lifting a  _ huge  _ sack of flour… sort of. 

Marinette felt his body go limp on top of her, and she slid him off and onto the cold ground. She knew that he was knocked out cold, a small trickle of blood oozing from his receding hairline. As quick as she could, she grabbed the pistol, still shaking with adrenaline, and pointed the barrel straight at Mercier. 

He was still absorbed in his phone, not noticing what had happened. She knew she couldn’t let this man get away. As far as anyone knew, no one had managed to actually capture an Akuma before.

He finally turned, seeing his partner on the ground. “What the–How did you–?” As he attempted to process what had happened, Marinette reached forward with her other hand. She’d seen enough spy movies with her dad, she knew where the safety was on guns like this. She released it with a click.

“D-drop the phone!” Marinette screamed, taking a few shaky steps towards him. She was simultaneously the most courageous and terrified she had ever been in her life. 

He did as he was told, and his phone fell to the ground with a clatter. 

“Kick it this way,” she demanded.  

Mercier compiled once again, stone-faced and silent.

She grabbed it and stuffed the electronic in her pocket, reaching for her own possessions, Keeping the gun pointed at him the whole time.

She grabbed her bag off the ground, fumbling for her cell phone inside. The screen was cracked, but she couldn’t care less right now. She managed to dial the emergency number and waited for the operator to answer, still pointing the gun at her attacker with a shaky hand. 

“This is one-one-two,” a female voice said, “what is your emergency?” 

“I’ve just been attacked by two Akumas,” Marinette told her, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. “I knocked one out though and trapped the other, Please send someone quickly!” 

“Alright, miss, what is your location?” 

Marinette gave her the closest address and the woman assured her that a unit was on their way, and to stay on the line. 

“You know, this isn’t how I imagined this night going,” Mercier chuckled.

“B-be quiet,” Marinette said as threateningly as she could. She relayed information about the attack to the operator until she saw blue and red lights at the end of the alleyway flashing. The operator gave her permission to hang up, but she made no move towards the officers until they had both men in handcuffs. 

As one officer was taking a report of what happened, Marinette handed another the first man’s gun. She told them what she told the woman before, and they were surprised at her capabilities. Just as she thought, no one had managed to take down an Akuma before. 

After they dragged the barely-conscious man into their car she gathered her fabric, hoping none of them were seriously damaged. One of the officers she had been speaking to before drove her home, where her parents were already waiting for her. It was far later than she told them she’d be back, after all. 

“Marinette!” Sabine cried, rushing to her daughter, “Where have you been?” 

Tom gave Marinette a bone-crushing hug and glanced at the officer behind her. “What happened?” He asked.

“Would you like to tell them,” the officer inquired, “Or should I give them a copy of the report now?” 

Marinette looked back at him, “I will, thank you.” 

“Alright, well, if that’s settled, I’ll be on my way.” He made sure Marinette had all her belongings before leaving, his lights fading into the distance.

 

Marinette just wished this night could disappear too.

 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Marinette woke up to the smell of pancakes. After she had told her parents what had nearly happened to her, they had been extremely doting. Making sure she had a hot bowl of soup, warm tea, a bubble bath, anything she wanted. She suspected that her father had made breakfast too, though part of her still wanted to sleep. She’d hardly slept through the tears, and what little sleep she did get was riddled with nightmares and repeating images of what could have occurred the night before. 

Marinette stretched and rubbed her tired eyes, feeling her back pop into place. She climbed down from her loft and into the kitchen, letting her feet drag on the ground. Tom’s head rose to greet her, and she gave him a weary smile in return. He offered her a plate of chocolate chip pancakes and Marinette accepted happily as she grabbed a few extra chocolates from the bag. She sat on the couch while he returned to the bakery to help her mother with the morning rush.

As she ate, Marinette reached for the television remote. She flicked on the first channel, instantly wishing she hadn’t. The newscast seemed to echo off the walls, draining the warmth out of the room.

_ “—night, occurring around eleven P.M. A young woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was attacked in this alleyway by the two Akumas. According to the police report, she managed to knock one of her attackers unconscious and corner the other, allowing for the first, and only, captured Akumas thus far. The two are still in police custody, refusing to answer any—”  _

Marinette shut the television off, not wanting to hear another word. She didn’t care what happened to those Akumas. No—she  _ wouldn’t _ care. If she let herself feel for them, she might as well excuse what they did. And she’d  _ never _ let herself do that. 

Strangely, as much as the memories of the previous night terrified her, they also made her feel stronger, powerful, and confident. Like she could do something about the terrors plaguing Paris, maybe even help people like herself. 

_ No, _ she mentally scolded herself,  _ a chance like that happens once in a lifetime. I barely escaped. I can’t go around thinking I’m special just because I stopped some sloppy criminals. _

With a heavy sigh, Marinette finished her breakfast and made her way back upstairs, slipping into her usual attire. She scanned the mess of unfinished projects strewn about her desk, wondering when she would have time to finish any of them. She settled for organizing, knowing her parents wouldn’t make her work in the bakery today. The moment her hands touched the first article of clothing, her phone rang from somewhere in the room. 

Marinette could hear her ringtone, though it was muffled. She looked around her bedroom, trying to discern where the noise was coming from. Eventually, her eyes and ears landed on her chaise where her bundles of fabric from the night before were. She dug through the cloth, finding her purse buried at the bottom. 

“Hello?” She greeted the person on the other end without checking the caller ID. 

“Marinette!” Alya screeched. Marinette had to hold the phone away from her ear momentarily. “Did you see the news? There was an Akuma attack near your house!”

She cringed, hoping to avoid this topic with Alya for as long as possible. “O-oh? I didn’t see, is everything alright?” 

“Yeah, they actually managed to catch the guys. Well, the girl did.” Alya huffed, popping the microphone with her breath. “Man, I wish I’d been there to get all the details. Apparently, the Akumas are still holding up the interrogations.” 

Marinette clenched her fist. She knew Alya had good intentions, but the  _ last _ thing she would have wanted was to be there. “Yeah. I wouldn't expect them to talk. Their organization has been pretty tight-lipped since all this began, right?”

“Mhm,” Alya hummed, “It seems like the police are withholding any information they have on them as well.” 

“I wonder if they’ll ever give in.” 

“Who knows. Let’s hope they have something useful if they do.” There was a strange tone to her friend’s voice, though Marinette couldn’t place what it meant. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you were safe.” 

“Y-yeah! I’m good. I’ll let you know if I see anything weird around.” Marinette loved Alya, but she wasn’t exactly in the best state to hold a conversation. 

“Alright, I’ll let you get back to work then,” Alya said, assuming Marinette would be in the bakery. “Oh, and by the way, don’t fall out of contact with Adrien, alright? He seemed really excited to see you.” Marinette could practically hear Alya’s evil grin through the phone. 

“S-sure. I’ll talk to you later, Alya.”

“Okay, good luck with Blondie!” Before Marinette could protest, Alya hung up on her.  _ Damn that girl…  _

She sighed and tossed her phone back on the chaise, knocking her purse onto the floor in the process. It landed with a loud thud, and Marinette wondered what she could have put in it that would have been so heavy. Gingerly, she reached down and opened the clasp, sending an object tumbling out. 

A dark octagonal box fell to the floor, though its hinges remained tightly shut. Marinette raised an eyebrow. She had never seen this before. The deep wood grain was inlaid with ancient-looking Chinese symbols. She only recognized the origins of the designs due to her own Chinese lineage. 

Marinette shrugged to herself. It was probably just something of her mother’s that got in her bag somehow. She picked up the small box carefully, opening it with ease despite seeming sealed before. A piece of paper fell out and drifted to the floor, and Marinette picked it up. It seemed to have some kind of address scrawled on it. 

She turned her eyes back to the contents of the box, not expecting to see what was within. 

 

Inside was a pair of pure black obsidian earrings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those of you who have commented on previous chapters! I love your feedback, and in some cases, it can help improve my story and spark inspiration that I may not have thought of otherwise! <3


	4. NOTICE! [will be deleted later]

Hello, my lovelies! 

 

  
As some of you may know, I've had a CRAZY few months. I just moved across the country, had a major breakup before that, was extremely ill all last year, and I'm job hunting now. Don't worry about me though, as most of the bad stuff has been resolved! I'm sorry for not uploading more but I just haven't had any time to write. HOWEVER! Things are finally settling down after the move so I've been able to begin writing chapter 13 of AA and chapter 4 of DWD. Thank you all so much for all the wonderful comments, it really has helped me through this tough transition and motivated me to get back in the swing of things. I'm sorry I can't reply to everyone, but I do read EVERY comment you leave.

Keep an eye out for new chapters coming soon!

 

 

With love,

Elioren


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